It was the hottest day of the year thus far. It is 8:45 pm and the temperature according to the car thermometer is still 93. But life continues. The Saturday morning tennis match was again on the schedule. The characters were somewhat different because of injuries to two of the geezers, but with subs we blasted through three sets in a couple of hours and all in attendance went home whole. Scores do not matter when the blast furnace begins.
This evening Herb and I drove to Hampton where a new Buddhist Temple is being dedicated this weekend. The large Cambodian immigrant community has financed and built this temple on farmland between Hampton and Farmington about 25 miles south of St Paul. They are the remnants of people from Cambodia that survived Pol Pot, one of the last century's major mass murderers. They have settled in Minnesota and elsewhere in the USA. They are mostly farmers and supply much of the produce for the several farmer's markets in the Twin Cities.
It was an odd experience in the farm fields of Minnesota to be among a small minority of European Americans and be outnumbered by Asians. It was much like the experience of Japan in some ways. The people were friendly and the surroundings a little out of the ordinary. There were about 100 orange clad Buddhist monks on the premises talking and advising and taking their ease. And thousands of Cambodian Americans, some selling food, produce, and art work, some listening to the Cambodian dance music and some talking with family and friends.
Here's Herb next to a statue of a Buddha along with gifts to Buddha and to the monks. Herb and the monks were similarly coifed.
Venus Williams won at Wimby today, her fourth singles title there since 2000. I predicted Serena, but Richard Williams, their father (tousan), about two weeks ago, predicted Venus would win. He is a better prognosticator than this tousan. Tomorrow is the men's final between Federer and Nadal. My prediction is still Roger Federer. It should be an interesting morning.
